Skytrails in the clouds

So the other week we were out for a walk to the church when I looked up and saw the clouds, they looked like they had fingers going through them

Spreading out like a hand

This is one of the culprits causing them

Happy Skywatch

Cow on a roof

Walking to Bow Bridge

This week we conclude my walk to Bow Bridge along the Thames.

That ominous looking building is one of these, a Pillbox, this on is not far from the pond I showed last week

On the opposite side of the river is this one. Last time I was here you could hardly see it because of the trees here. I went and had a look at it a few years ago and it was in danger of slipping in the river, now the bank has been strengthened  so it cannot go in, might see if I can return again
These pillboxes are all along the Thames between Pangourne and go as far as Lechlaid. I have seen them all. If you want to read more then visit this link Pillboxes along the Thames It needs updating a bit which I will get around to sometime.

Going along the path a bit you come to Cholsey Marsh which I will show you another time

Walking the other way you might notice this raised area of ground, That is the spoil from the river Thames that was dredged  back in around 196, there was huge mound of it where the barges unloaded the spoil then it was bulldozed flat

This is what we call bow bridge beside it is this finger sign, you can see a footbridge in the distance

Go along a bit and you pass another pillbox. If you do look at the blog I linked you can see my Dad stood by the bridge with his in the background and and one of me where you cannot see the pillbox

Further along you may come across this going on

They are rowers from Brooks University Boathouse

If you take the footpath from the Thames you follow Cholsey Brook, it enters the Thames under the footbridge. The footpath will bring you out at Bow Bridge Bend, this was the old A3229 to Reading. The road was straightened out due to the number of accidents that happened through the bends. Many a car ended up in the woods  in the distance by the tree to the right. The bridge crosses the Brook you see here.

After this photo my Battery ran out and though I did manage to coax a few more photos I'll leave them for another blog. Taking Part in Our World Tuesday

St Mary Childrey

This week the Church Explorer takes you West of Wantage to St Mary Childrey the first of Eight Churches I will be visiting along near the Ridgeway

Photo bombed

 I have been watching out for a plane to be flying close to the moon so I could get a reasonable photo of the two. This is the nearest I have managed so far

I missed this Red Kite photo bombing , had it been a little more to the left it would have been perfect

Happy Skywatch everyone

Fox & the Hound

Walk down to the River

A few weeks ago I went for a walk along the local river, you may have heard of it. The River Thames, I only went for a short walk along it but took in a vast about of things to see. Over the next two weeks I will show a little of what I saw

I took the byway to the main road, looking across you see a gap in the hedge, this was where a gate used to be

If you went through the gate it took you across this field that used to have dairy cattle in it. Certain times of the year you could come here and collect field mushrooms and quite a lot of the village could be seen here gathering them for breakfast

The cattle belonged to the Hospital Farm where they were milked. Gradually the farm fell into disuse and the field was turned over to cereal and the path disappeared

A new path was adopted and people now use that

It takes you down to this clump of trees and from there you can go across the meadow to the Thames Path

Over to the right you can see Cholsey Marsh. This was once a river meadow but after the cattle stopped grazing here and hospital closed it became over grown it is now looked after by BBOWT and is a good place for bird watching

The clump of trees contains this pond which when I was a lad of 15 used to be surrounded by a high bank. It was dug to hold water for irrigation of crops and we used to go for a swim in it though I might add it was not easy to climb out of

Nearby you can see the rennet's of the irrigation pipes

and part laying on the ground which used to go in the pond

The pond has become disused and the bank has become smaller though you can see parts of it. No doubt the constant flooding and  the fact it may have been lowered to make it safer has a lot to do with the diminished banks

Eventually after walking across the meadow you come to the Thames. Next week I will show you a little from each way along the path and some on the ominous looking building you see to the right of the photo.
Taking Part in Our World Tuesday

Reading Abbey

This week I am taking you to two places, Reading Abbey ruins and Piscah Chapel in Wales

Abbey Ruins Reading

Piscah Chapel

St Mary Sky

Towards the end of one of our walks the in January I took this photo of the sky over St Mary's church

Closer shot of the church

Happy Skywatch 

Frosty Fairy

Bit Of History

This week I thought we would have little fun with some history. In January I was walking along a footpath that ran beside  preserved railway. There was a gap in the fence at one point and I had a look at the railway ties they had dates on them

 Sep 1903 was the earliest I could see and the First Teddy bear came out an the first Ford Model T was sold

This one had May 1905 That year the city of Las Vegas.was founded in May

 No month on this one but in April this year the Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg with the loss of between 1,517 and 1,636 lives. The wreck would not be discovered until 1985

1918 was the year the first world was ended on 11/11/1918 I did see a tie that was 1914 when the First world war started but forgot to get a photo of it

Another I saw was 1939 when the second world war started  but again did not get a photo

1942 the second world war was in it's third year and in January

The Declaration by United Nations is signed by China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union and 22 other nations, in which they agree "not to make any separate peace with the Axis powers".

 Heinkel test pilot Helmut Schenk becomes the first person to escape from a stricken aircraft, with an ejection seat. He was lucky because it was the 13th

In March St Nazaire Raid (Operation Chariot) – British Commandos raid Saint-Nazaire on the coast of Western France, to put its dockyard facilities out of action.

 I could not see a tie for 1945 when the war ended but no doubt there is one 

I left after that and carried on with my walk.

Hope you enjoyed my little history lesson. Taking Part in our world Tuesday